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Russian Language Journal

Keywords

Russian language, propaganda, racism, homophobia, anti-Western resentment

Abstract

This article examines the TV talk show 60 Minutes—one of the main pillars of Russian television propaganda. Since its launch in 2016 on Russia-1, the show has placed the defamation of Ukraine and the promotion of anti-Western, conservative values as Russia’s proclaimed national and international mission at the top of its agenda. Consequently, this talk show is of particular interest for studying and analyzing political propaganda in contemporary Russian mass media. In this article, we focus on a short segment from a 2020 broadcast of 60 Minutes titled “The Limits of Tolerance” and propose ways to integrate it into the Russian language classroom. We adopt a critical language pedagogy (CLP) approach to teaching political and controversial issues in the foreign language classroom, which aims to promote social and democratic responsibility, respectful interaction, and reflection on social inequality. The practical tasks we propose aim to raise learners’ awareness of the manipulative strategies used in Russian talk shows. Through analyzing the 60 Minutes segment, students will learn how anti-Western and conservative values are intertwined with nationalistic and racist ideologies under the guise of an “open” discussion.

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